Author: Sports Radio Service

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca and Morris Phillips: McCutchen and Giants swing for six doubles against Reds on Monday night

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photo @SFGiants: San Francisco Giants hitter Andrew McCutchen swings for one of his two doubles on Monday night at AT&T Park against the visiting Cincinnati Reds

On the Giants podcast with Michael and Morris:

The Cincinnati Reds came into AT&T Park on Monday night after sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games and with a six game winning streak but ran into the Giants who had a six game losing streak until they snapped it on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0.

With the win it picked up the Giants spirits and hitting as well on Monday they got help from Andrew McCutchen, Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey Brandon Belt, and Evan Longoria all who hit for doubles. Belt hit an eighth inning home run his seventh of the season with nobody out to help provide for the Giants offense.

The Giants got the 10-7 win and got their run production early three in the first, one in the second, two in the third, and later three in the sixth which helped because the Reds put seven runs on the board which in most circumstances is good enough to win a ball game normally.

Michael Duca and Morris Phillips do the Giants podcast weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: After snapping six-game skid, Giants looking to get back on track in series with Reds in SF

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Photo credit: sfgate.com

On the San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips:

The Giants, after dropping six straight games, finally got a win and took some of the pressure from a six-game skid in Pittsburgh with a 5-0 shutout being the pitching of Derek Holland, who went six-plus, four hits, no runs and seven strike outs. Holland’s five walks was the most he has given up thus far this season.

The Giants provided great defense behind Holland and didn’t commit an error. The team is leading the National League in errors with 31. The Giants also look forward to getting pitcher Madison Bumgarner healthy again.

Bumgarner threw off the mound tonight at AT&T Park before the Giants meeting with the Cincinnati Reds. Bumgarner will continue to rehab until his scheduled start on May 25th some 11 days from now. Meanwhile, the Reds, who are in last place, have recently found their way to the win column putting together a six-game win streak coming into AT&T tonight. The Reds have simply improved with good hitting and good defense.

Morris Phillips does the SF Giants podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants feature with Tony the Tiger Hayes: He was a Giant? Cesar Gutierrez, former infielder for SF in the 60s

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Topps 1970 baseball card of former San Francisco Giant and Detroit Tiger infielder Cesar Gutierrez

CESAR’S SALAD DAY

By Tony “Le Tigre” Hayes

Cesar Gutierrez – IF – 1967, 1969 – # 17

SAN FRANCISCO–He Was a Giant?

This slight 5’9″, 150 pound infielder – who spent parts of two seasons swinging and missing as a Giant – was alternately nicknamed, “Bandito” (he was a nifty base stealer) and “Cocoa” (for an undying love of Hershey bars).

But “The Enigma” would have equally worked for Gutierrez — especially in reference to the right-handed hitter’s perplexing batting results in the Majors.

Though he was a minor league career .299 hitter and even won a Triple-A batting title as a Giants farmhand, the Venezuelan was an underachieving big league batsman, hitting a moribund .235 in 223 MLB contests.

Gutierrez was practically an automatic out.

That is… with the exception of one stunning performance by Gutierrez as a Detroit Tiger in 1970, when the normally feeble swinger set a modern day big league record for most hits in a game without recording an out.

He batted 7-for-7, in a 9-8, 12-inning Tigers win at Cleveland in the night-cap of a double header (6/21/70).

Cesar batted safely off all six Cleveland pitchers that day.

He collected two singles off the Tribe’s Rick Austin (in his MLB debut), mashed a double and single off Dennis Higgins, laced another single off Fred Lasher, stroked another single against Dick Ellsworth and capped his day with yet another single off the losing pitcher Phil Hennigan.

Astonishing Gutierrez’s six singles and one double that day, fell just one short of the grand total of hits Gutierrez amassed as a Giant when he batted .182 in 33 contests.

Why Was He a Giant?
With the sure-handed Hal Lanier holding down shortstop in SF, Gutierrez was the back up to begin the 1967 campaign. but didn’t hang around long – spending most of the season at Triple-A Phoenix.

Coincidently he thrived in the desert, winning the Pacific Coast League batting crown with a .322 average.

Before & After
After spending all of 1968 back in the minors, Gutierrez made the Giants big club on Opening Day in 1969, but failed to get his bat in gear once again.

The Giants cut ties with Gutierrez later that season, trading the then 26 -year -old to the Tigers to complete an earlier deal for rubber-armed reliever Don McMahon.

Gutierrez finally got his shot to play in the bigs in 1970 and was Detroit’s starting shortstop for most of the season. But save his one heavy volume hit day – Gutierrez did not impress at the plate (.243).

He failed to hit a home run and to make matters worse, Gutierrez had more errors (23) than he did RBI (22). After the Tigers’ disappointing fourth place finish, the Bengals closed the curtains on the Gutierrez experiment.

He Wasn’t Omar Vizquel… But
After starting his Giants career 0-for-10, Gutierrez delivered his first two big league hits off of former 20-game winner Chris Short of Philadelphia in a 9-1 loss at Candlestick Park (9/29/67).

Giants Footprint
Since Gutierrez’s magical day at the plate in 1970, only two players have stroked seven hits in a game. They each have ties to the Orange & Black.

In 1975, as a member of the Pirates, future Giant Rennie Stennett batted 7-for-7 in a regulation 9-inning game.

Then in 2017, current SF player Brandon Crawford batted 7-for-8 in a 12-inning game.

Tony the Tiger Hayes does the Giants features. Catch him at http://www.sportsradioservice.com.

NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Len Shapiro: Caps off to a Lightning start, up 2-0; Tampa Bay struggling on defense

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Photo credit: nhl.com/capitals

On the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast with Len Shapiro:

The Washington Capitals are off to a fast start with a series 2-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Capitals dominated in Game 2 on the Tampa Bay ice on Sunday with a four-goal 6-2 win. Alex Ovechkin says the team doesn’t panic under pressure and say the Caps are playing the system and doing it the right way.

The Lightning down 1-0 saw the Capitals turn on the red lamp with three goals in the second period and two more goals in the third period. The Lightning just couldn’t get any kind of defense going nor could they get back into the game to answer the Capitals on their goal scoring.

The two clubs match up again on Tuesday night this time for Game 3 in Washington, which is a tall task to ask of the Lightning to try and come back down two. The Lightning more than likely will attack like a cornered animal and will need Game 3 to feel some semblance of this third round of the playoffs.

Len Shapiro does the NHL Stanley Cup playoff podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Yankees take series over A’s with 6-2 victory

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Photo credit: @Athletics

By: Jessica Kwong

NEW YORK – After a two-hour, 45-minute rain delay at Yankee Stadium, the Oakland Athletics on Sunday afternoon let the New York Yankees to take an early lead, rallied too late and lost the game 6-2, as well as the series.

A’s starting pitcher Brett Anderson, who allowed four runs in five innings, admitted that the rain delay threw him off.

“You come to the field knowing what time the game is supposed to start, then it’s a hurry-up-and-wait scenario,” Anderson said.

The Yankees got off to a good start. Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge scored when Giancarlo Stanton hit a ground ball to center fielder Dustin Fowler, and Didi Gregorius advanced to second base. Gregorius scored when Aaron Hicks singled on a ground ball to Fowler, putting the Yankees up 3-0 over the A’s.

In the fifth inning, Jed Lowrie singled on a sharp line drive to right fielder Judge and Jonathan Lucroy scored the first run for the A’s. But at the bottom of the fifth, Stanton hit a home run to put the Yankees up 4-1.

“Struggled some in the first, looked like he got it under control the next couple innings, but we needed five out of him today, we had bullpen issues,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said of Anderson. “I think sometimes it takes a starter time to settle in, and they had him on the run right away with guys on base.”

Anderson was relieved by veteran Santiago Casilla, who pitched two innings and allowed Judge to score in the seventh inning.

Melvin said Casilla’s contribution was “huge for us.”

“The guy’s out there throwing 40-some pitches, helped save the bullpen, wanted no part of coming out of that game, competing real hard. It’s good for our younger guys to see, too, in a game that you’re behind like that,” Melvin said. “There are small victories in certain games even when you lose and that was big for us.”

In the eighth inning, with Wilmer Font pitching, Judge singled on a sharp ground ball to right fielder Mark Canha and Miguel Andujar scored, bringing the Yankees up 6-1.

Canha in the ninth inning hit a homer on a fly ball to center field to cut the Yankees lead to 6-2, but the A’s did not manage to get more runs.

With Sunday’s loss, the A’s for the first time since April 20 fell two games under .500 (19-21). The A’s are 8-12 on the road this season.

The A’s continue their 10-game road trip in Boston to play a three-game series against the Red Sox. First pitch on Monday is at 4:10 p.m. PST.

Hernandez and Holland help end the Giants’ skid with 5-0 shutout

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

After seeing their opponents, the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit fly ball home runs for the first two games, the San Francisco Giants thought enough was enough and they needed to join in.

Well, Gorkys Hernandez did just that, as he hit a solo home run to lead off the top of the sixth inning, where the Giants scored all their runs on their way to stopping their six-game losing streak thru the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania after defeating the Pirates 5-0 at PNC Park.

Brandon Belt and Pablo Sandoval each singled, Brandon Crawford doubled and then Nick Hundley greeted reliever Richard Rodriguez by taking his first pitch out of the park for a 5-0 lead.

After the Sandoval single, Crawford hit a double that scored Belt to increase the Giants lead to 2-0, and ended Pirates starter Ivan Nova’s day

The single by Sandoval was one that haunted Nova in the end, as he knew he was able to field it for the possible third out; however, he was unable to handle and then Hundley launched his three-run home run.

Derek Holland pitched 6.1 innings, scattering four hits, walking five and striking out seven, as he won for the second time this season.

Holland was helped out by the fact that the Pirates went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position on the afternoon, including 0-for-8 against Holland.

The trio of Reyes Moronta, Will Smith and Hunter Strickland ended the seven-hit shutout, as the Giants picked up their fourth shutout of the season, while the Pirates were shutout for the third time this season.

Nova went 5.2 innings, allowing four runs and eight hits, and Is 0-2 in five starts since defeating the Miami Marlins on April 15.

Andrew McCutchen went 1-for-4 with a walk, and the weekend by going 4-for-14 with three doubles in his first weekend playing in the city where he played for the first 13 seasons of his career. McCutchen extended his hitting streak up to 12 games, and 16-for-43 during the streak.

NOTES: Chris Stratton opens up the seven-game home stand on Monday night, as he takes the mound against the Cincinnati Reds. Stratton, who is 3-3 on the season and in his three losses, the Giants have been outscored by their opponents, 35-9.

Madison Bumgarner will throw a bullpen session on Monday at AT&T Park, and could begin his rehab assignment within days. If the rehab goes well, Bumgarner could be activated from the 60-day disabled list on May 25, the day he is eligible to come off of it.

UP NEXT: The Giants will return home to host the Cincinnati Reds for a three-game series. Game 1 is scheduled for Monday night at 7:15 pm PT.

MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum: Hit by sends Giants to six-game skid; Headley goes back to the minors; Zobrist’s black shoe banned from MLB

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@benzobrist18 photo: Ben Zobrist of the Chicago Cubs displays one of his banned black shoes from MLB on his hitting stick

On the MLB The Show podcast with Daniel Dullum:

1 Giants’ on six-game skid after losing to Pittsburgh on RBI HBP.

2 Padres designate Chase Headley for assignment.

3 Matt Harvey has a decent debut for Cincinnati.

4 Cubs’ Ben Zobrist busted by MLB for wearing traditional black cleats.

Daniel Dullum does the MLB The Show podcast each Sunday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Watson falters in Giants’ 6-5 loss to Pirates

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Once again, it was a homecoming for a former Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star, but this is one game that Tony Watson will want to forget.

Watson, who played for the Pirates for six seasons got into a jam, as he loaded the bases and then the Pirates took the lead for good, when Watson hit former teammate Jordy Mercer to score Josh Bell from third base and the Pirates defeated the Giants 6-5 at PNC Park.

The win went to Pirates closer Felipe Vasquez, who picked up his second win of the season, as he got the final five outs of the game.

Bell picked up two hits on the night, and his base running helped the Pirates score the winning run. David Freese hit an infield single that Evan Longoria fielded, and Bell was able to elude Longoria’s tag to get back to third base.

Andrew McCutchen went 2-for-5, as he extended his hitting streak to 11 games and streak of getting on base up to 22 games.

Longoria and Alen Hanson hit home runs for the Giants, who have lost six games in a row thru the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Jeff Samardzija went 5.2 innings, allowing five runs and six hits, as he saw his earned run average increase to a whopping 6.94 on the season. Samardzija also gave up two home runs to Francisco Cervelli and Gregory Polanco.

After Cervelli gave the Pirates a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, as his laser shot landed in the front row of the right-center field seats.

Brandon Belt cut the Pirates lead in half, as he singled in McCutchen in the top of the seventh inning.

Austin Jackson tied up the game in the top of the eighth inning, as he doubled to left to score Hanson, who is day-to-day with a tight left hamstring.

Pirates starter Chad Kuhl pitched six innings, allowing three runs and six hits. Kuhl also struck out six and walked four.

Both Samardzija and Kuhl did not fare in the decision for either teams.

NOTES: Derek Holland looks to stop the teams’ losing streak, and a streak of his own, as Holland last won on the road on May 21, 2017, while with the Chicago White Sox. Ivan Nova looks to help the Pirates pick up the sweep.

Hunter Pence looks to be improving, and he could possibly be activated during the Giants’ seven-game home stand that begins on Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

UP NEXT: The Giants-Pirates series concludes with a series finale on Sunday at 10:35 am PT.

NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Playoff podcast with Matt Harrington: Capitals take early lead on Ovechkin’s goal; Lightning have been down 0-1 before

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Photo credit: @Capitals

On the Eastern Conference Finals playoff podcast with Matt:

#1 The Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin’s early game power play goal help the Capitals to a 4-2 win past the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night in Tampa Bay.

#2 It was 80 degrees outside of Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena at the start of Friday night’s Game 1 contest. Both teams needed a lot of hydration before and during the game.

#3 The Caps’ Ovechkin, who got a power play goal and an assist on Friday was one of the key reasons why the Caps are this far in the Eastern Conference finals.

#4 The Bolts are not to be underestimated they lost the opener in Game 1 Round 2, but bounced back by winning four straight over the Boston Bruins to advance to Round 3.

#5 Talk about the Caps goaltender Braden Holtby’s job in net with one goal allowed in 19 saves.

Matt Harrington does the NHL Stanley Cup Playoff podcast each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Pirates hit four home runs; spoil McCutchen’s homecoming with 11-2 rout

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

On a night where the Pittsburgh Pirates welcomed home of their favorite sons, they put an absolute bludgeoning on his new team.

Josh Bell, Starling Marte and Jose Osuna each launched two-run home runs, and Max Moroff hit a three-run home run, as the Pirates defeated the San Francisco Giants 11-2 at PNC Park that spoiled the homecoming of current Giants right fielder Andrew McCutchen, who was drafted with the 11thpick in the 2005 Amateur Draft by the Pirates.

While with the Pirates, McCutchen was a multi-time All Star and the 2013 MVP. McCutchen also helped lead the Pirates back to the postseason in 2014, where they faced the Giants in the National League Wild Card Game.

That 2014 appearance in the postseason was the Pirates first postseason appearance since 1992, when their leftfielder won his second NL MVP in three years; however, after that season, that leftfielder returned to his hometown of San Francisco. That leftfielder’s name is Barry Bonds.

McCutchen went 1-for-5 on the evening, and ended the sixth inning, as he threw Colin Moran out at the plate that brought cheers from the home fans.

Steven Brault improved to 3-1 on the season, as he picked the win in relief of Pirates starter Jameson Taillon, who was forced to leave the game after just three innings due to a laceration on his pitching hand.

Once again, the Giants starting pitcher was unable to make it out of the fifth inning for the fifth straight game.

Andrew Suarez went just four innings, as he gave up five runs and seven hits, as his record dropped to 1-2 on the season and the Giants have lost five in a row after sweeping the Atlanta Braves to open the road trip.

The Giants tied up the game in the top of the fourth inning, as Austin Jackson hit a two-run double off of Brault. Unfortunately, Suarez was unable to hold the lead and the Pirates took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth.

Once again, the Giants struggled in scoring position, as they went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Also, the Giants struck out 14 times, as they have struck out a whopping 69 times during their five-game slide thru the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

NOTES; Jeff Samardzija looks to put the end to the losing streak on Saturday night, as he takes the mound against the Chad Kuhl.

It is not good news for Mac Williamson, as he remains in the concussion protocol and it could be another week before he is cleared, this according to Giants manager Bruce Bochy. Williamson last played on April 24, when he crashed into the wall near the Giants bullpen at AT&T Park against the Washington Nationals.

Bochy also said that Hunter Pence’s sprained thumb was doing better, as he is on a rehab assignment with the Sacramento Rivercats.

UP NEXT: Game 2 of this series is scheduled for Saturday at 4:05 pm PT.